The Yacht Club | Page 9

to acquit Mr.
Laud Cavendish of the act, partly, perhaps, because this had been his
first view of the matter. It was more probable that Hasbrook, angry and

disappointed at his failure, had put the box into his wagon, and returned
to the neighboring town, where, as before stated, his reputation was not
first class, though, perhaps, not many people believed him capable of
stealing outright, without the formality of getting up a mining company,
or making a trade of some sort. But Donald had been the last of the trio
of visitors who passed through the library, and the captain wanted to
see him.
The Sea Foam, with snowy sails just from the loft, and glittering in her
freshly-laid coat of white paint, ran up to a wharf just below the boat
shop. Donald was at the helm, and he threw her up into the wind just
before she came to the pier, so that when she forged ahead, with her
sails shaking in the wind, her head came up within a few inches of the
landing-place. Mr. Ramsay fended her off, and went ashore with a line
in his hand, which he made fast to a ring. Captain Patterdale walked
around to the wharf, as soon as he saw where she was to make a
landing.
"Well, how do you like her, Sam?" said Donald to a young man of his
own age in the standing-room with him.
"First rate; and I hope your father will go to work on mine at once,"
replied the passenger.
"You will lay down the keel on Monday--won't you, father?"
"What?" asked Mr. Ramsay, who had seated himself on a log on the
wharf.
"You will lay down the keel of the boat for Mr. Rodman on
Monday--won't you?" repeated Donald.
"Yes, if I am able; I don't feel very well to-day." And the boat-builder
doubled himself up, as though he was in great pain.
The young man in the standing-room of the Sea Foam was Samuel
Rodman, a schoolmate of Donald, whose father was a wealthy man,
and had ordered another boat like the Skylark, which had been the

model for the new yacht. He had come down to see the craft, and had
been invited to take a sail in her; but an engagement had prevented him
from going as far as Turtle Head, and the boat-builder and his son had
returned to land him, intending still to make the trip. By this time
Captain Patterdale had reached the end of the wharf. He went on board
of the Sea Foam, and looked her over with a critical eye, and was
entirely satisfied with her. He was invited to sail in her for as short a
time as he chose, but he declined.
"By the way, Donald, did you see the green tin box when you were in
my library this afternoon?" he asked, when all the topics relating to the
yacht had been disposed of.
"Yes, sir; I saw you take some money from it," replied Donald.
"Then you remember the box?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you notice it when you came out--I mean, when you left the
house?"
"I don't remember seeing it when I came out," answered Donald,
wondering what these questions meant.
"I want to get another box just like that one. Did you take particular
notice of it?"
"No, sir; I can't say I did."
"You didn't stay any time in the library after you came down from
Michael's room, did you?"
"No, sir; I only went for my hat, and didn't stay there a minute."
"And you didn't notice the tin box?"
"No, sir; I didn't see it at all when I came out."

"Then of course you didn't see any marks upon it," added the captain,
with a smile.
"If I didn't see the box, I shouldn't have been likely to see the marks,"
laughed Donald. "What marks were they, sir?"
"It's of no consequence, if you didn't see them. The box was in the
library--wasn't it?--when you went out."
"I don't know whether it was or not. I only know that I don't remember
noticing it," said Donald, who thought the captain's question was a very
queer one, after those he had just answered.
The nabob was no better satisfied with Donald's answers than he had
been with those of Laud Cavendish, except that the former looked him
full in the face when he spoke. He obtained no information, and went
home to seek it at other sources.
"I think I won't go out again, Donald," said Mr. Ramsay, when Captain
Patterdale had left. "I don't feel very well, and you may go alone."
"Do you feel very sick, father?" asked the son, in tones of sympathy.
"No; but I think I will go into the